The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1887-10-12
PRESIDENTS WIVES
The Ladies VINO Hsvs Besn the Nistrsssss Of
the White Aoues.
Social Affairs at the National Capital since
the Time of George WashiDgtOn-Mrs.
CIeveIand's Predecessors.

have shared the honors and trials with the
Chief Magistrates for over a century, and
to them be no second place given; for TO
woman's tact, and woman's power has
been largely due the success OF each ad-
ministration. Washington life is emf
nently 3 social one and must be catered 20.
The grace and popularity OF the Presidents
wife is an added virtue to the President.
She must make and keep friends for him
when he cannot do it for himself. She
must relieve him of the social burden that
he may give the more time to graver at
fairs. Often she Is the power behind the
throne" to whose wise counsel is due the
desired results, She gives up all privacy
of home life to live in the eyes of the
world for brief term Of responsibility
and forced gsyety; she must always be on
duty, and never forgetting for an instant
that her every act will be for the advance
ment or harm OF her husband, must be
gracious allie 20 false friend and true.
Her ea.uFes, manners, dinners aid
dressing are described and criticized as go
much public property, and If il is less a
tender subject with her than other women,
she will read with amusement the widely
different accounts of herself, the gross mis-
representations that are made Ont of the
whole cloth" for political reasons, or 10 fill
in the columns of the newspapers. After
few years of oitter-sweet experience she re-
tires to comparative oblivion aud the
peaceful knowledge that she has been the
proud recipient of the highest position that
can be bestowed on an American woman,
and that it will come to no woman bat
once in lifetime.
Many of the Presidents wives have bean
in delicate health and untitled by the early
days Of hard work and poverty for the dut-
les imposed on them when Dame Fortune
! deigned to smile upon them, for in almost
every instance the famous men of this
country have risen from the poorer con.
ditions of life. Their wives kept pace with
them however and the most brilliant ladies
Of the White House we're those who had no
claim to the blue blood OF sristocracy.
Martha Washington was plump, bro Yn-
eyed widow of twenty-six, with money aud
sweet disposition, when the General
married her, and they had wedding feast
that lasted for days. and was participated
in by all the +. +. VS.. The best proof we
have Of her wins0meness is that ihe stiff
old soldier unbeDt enough TO give her the
pet name OF Patsy" She was nos bril-
liant little wOman-knew more about
housekeeping than she did about the
affairs of State-but General George did
rot need q helpmeet particularly, and the
prosy details of home-life were a rest to
him after day of conteItions and in
trieue Her unbound ed pride in'her husband
kept her following where he lead, hence
the awesome dignity of that administra-
ton. The rsceptions-to which the COM
mon people were not invited-weTe c9n-
Quoted with all the stiffness and ceremony
of foreign courts, the guests retiring st
half past ten. The hostess received scared,
and the President greeted each kindly, but
never offered his hand. Think what we
have come to in these days when the Heads
Of the Nation are compelled 10 stand hours
| at stretch and submit 10 having their
hands wruDg and squeezed and shook by
| long lines of crushed and perspiring peo-
| pie, while the newspaper reporter gloals
over the limpness Of the presidential col
lar. The Father of his Country would
never have accepted nomination on any
| such terms.
The first Presidents wife made up in
Grand manners what she lacked in
fine clothes, for we hear of her
at bali clad in a simple
russell gown with o modest white kerchiel
around htI throat, but with a most regal
bearing. She superIntended the weaving
ard making of the Generals inauguration
| suit and was so proud of two cotton dress
es with silk stripes made of the ravellings
of her brown silk hose and old crimson
cha ir covers that she had them exhibited
as an example for other women to go and
DO likewise. Brimming with AVAILABILITY
and benevolence and good common sense,
Martha Washington was just the woman
to head the list-may it be long-of the
women whom the nation delights to honor
81 Abigail Adams was the first real LADY
of the White House; ;" moving into il then
it was unfinished and unspeakable dreary
She came from Philadelphia TO spend the
last four months of the administration in
the new Presidential mansion, to find il
| right in the woods, with no servants TO cui
enough of the wood to give warmth and
dTyness to the few inhabitable rooms
scant lights, no looking.glasses, and nc
| neighbors The future sidewalks anC
rosdways were of miry clay, making il
| an all-dey task to return one of the many
calls she wes bound to acknowledge from
the country round, for in those days, send
ing ones coacbman around with a care
was not considered q call. With all hsl
trials and fluctuations she had one com
fOrt,-she could use the great unfinished
audience room TO dry her clothes in OF
rainy days.
Thomas Jefferson's wife had been dead
some years when he became President, anC
his daughters we're too small to be of any
assistance TO him in a social way, hence TIT
"Jefersonian simplicity, we hear 80 much
about. There may be treason in thu
thought, but surely had he been mor'
blessed with women-kind, there would
have been less simplicity.
Dorothy Madison atoned for all previou
shortcomings, when the power came int;
her hands, however. The old adsge
'TIain up child. etc., was lost on her
A demure little Quakeress. while unde
the parental eye, but directly she is mar
ried, begins to blossom out. When sh'
has been a widow less than year she cap
| tivates the future President, aud once il
the White House, fsscnates all about he
by her gay good humor and ready wit. M
stiffness now, nor simplicity. Her sol
sim was to be popular, and having NJ
children, all her energies were put forth tx
| please. She never forgot a name or a face
and had the happy faculty of making eact
| one feel himself the object of her particu
lar attention. She had a pet parrot, use'
snuff and paint, and was given to wrapping
bright silken scarfs around her head tur
| ban fashion, bnt 1t seemed not out of plao
in Dorothy Madison. The fourth year o.
that administration was a most eventlu
one. During a skirmish with Euglist
troops, the White House was rsnsacke'
and burned, and light-hearted Dorothy
saw fear and trouble enough.
The White House was partially rebuilt
when Elizabeth Monroe went into il, an,
and she undertook to rebuild the tone o
its manners and customs as well. Havin
been with her husband when he was Min
lister to England she was disposed to con
duct things less on the free Repp4lics
plan. Was more reserved and theSs was